Stamford School Board Candidate Withdraws From Race After Online Video Surfaces

STAMFORD, CT — The Republican Stamford Board of Education candidate has withdrawn from the race after posting a video in which he voiced opposition to women's voting rights, the LGBTQ+ community, and what he described as the "mass migration of Muslims in the country."

Jose Tejeda, who was also endorsed by the Independent Party, officially withdrew from the Board of Education race this week, as well as from the Stamford Republican Town Committee, Stamford Town Clerk David Hoak confirmed with Patch on Thursday.

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Tejeda's name will still appear on the ballot since the ballots have already been printed.

In a video titled "Birth of a podcast" posted to the video platform Rumble around three weeks ago, Tejeda said he wanted to start a podcast in which he'd invite guests on "to be shamed."

In the video, Tejeda explained the idea for the podcast and mentioned inviting "sex workers, OnlyFans girls," and "degenerates in general" onto the show.

"It's a freeing thing to be able to speak on a podcast or videos or a panel where you can speak your ideals out there. On account of the way I perceive reality or perceive the world based on my Christian Orthodox framework or basis, I want to just speak the reality of things, what I observe, the truth of it," Tejeda explained in the video, adding that he's against what he called "LGBTQ+A123."

"I'm against women's voting rights. I'm against the mass migration of Muslims in the country; I'm against a lot of topics that are very unpopular," he added.

Via text message on Friday, Tejeda told Patch, "any (people) who have an issue with my opinion let's talk and have a debate instead because apparently my social media is out there if you have the gall to do so."

Tejeda said in his video he believed "shame is important to have."

"If you have a friend that shames you for being fat, for example, that's a good thing because it teaches you to want to take better care of yourself," he said. "The point is to shame, not judge. It's to shame and bring to light what's really going on in the minds of people who are degenerates."

In a separate video posted earlier this week, Tejeda said he was "dropping out of everything and everything I'm involved in."

"What I represented are my own opinions. They do not represent anyone who is endorsing me. They do not represent the candidates that are involved heavily in their campaigns," Tejeda said. "I do apologize deeply for whomever wanted to support me in my campaign, because they had no idea of my own opinions."

Tejeda noted he would not be deleting his videos.

"I will not, because these are my opinions. They have nothing to do with the values that I believe in for the community," he said. "My colleagues, they have nothing to do with my opinions."

Three seats are available on the Stamford Board of Education. The Democratic candidates are incumbents Andy George and Gabriela Koc, and newcomer Regan Allan. George is the current board president, and Koc is the vice president.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Tejeda could not be reached for comment in time for publication on Friday.

Patch reached out to the Stamford RTC and the CT Independent Party for comment but did not hear back as of Friday afternoon.